Device for fastening ferry-boats.



No. 653,244. Haunted l-uly l0, I900.

- w. o. JONES.

DEVICE FORFASTENING FERRY BOATS.

(Application filed Nov. 24, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

. Fern.

VVARRICK O. JONES, OF DEERING, MAINE.

DEVICE FOR FASTENING FERRY-BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 653,244, dated July10, 1900.

Application filed November 24, 1899. Serial No. 738,612. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WARRIOK O. J ONES, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Deering, Cumberland county, State of Maine,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forFastening Ferry-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a device for fastening ferry-boats to theirslips; and the object of the invention is to substitute a quicker andsurer device for the old chain and Windlass which has heretofore beenused for this purpose.

The invention consists generally of a steam or other power cylinderhaving a piston and piston-rod, the latter having on its end a wirerope, chain, or other flexible connection, by which the boat is fastenedto the slip. After the boat is fastened steam is turned on the cylinder,and the boat is thus held firmly to the slip. Means are provided forpreventing the striking of the piston against the end of the cylinderand also for preventing injury to the apparatus when the boat startswithout unhooking from the slip.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as appliedto a ferry-boat in the form in which I propose to use it.

In the drawings, Figure l is a general longitudinal section showing thefastening device in elevation. Fig. 2 is a cross'section of a boat,showing the cylinder in end elevation with the head of the steam-chestremoved; and Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the connection by whichthe wire rope is joined to the end of the piston-ro d.

A represents the deck of the boat, and B is a steam-cylinder of ordinaryconstruction secured to the under side of the deck and havingsteam-chests b, one on each end.

I) is the piston, and O is the piston-rod, which extends directlythrough the cylinder toward the ends of the boat. The piston-rod C isconnected at each end with a flexible guide, here shown as a wire roped, which passes up through the deck to a point near the end of the boatthrough an inclined hawse-pipe i, the lower end of the hawse-pipe beingsubstautially in line with the axis of the cylinder, so that the pull ofthe piston-rod will be in a straight line. Means are provided forscour.-

ing the flexible guide 0? to the ferry-slip. As

here shown, a shortsection of chain jis spliced on the end of the wireroped, and on the end of the chainj is a hook k, adapted to be hookedinto the end of the chain m, which is secured to the ferry-slip, thelatter not being herein shown. The hook is is provided with aleverhandle 71;, by which a purchase may be applied in unhooking thechain. provided for guarding against the striking of the piston againstthe end of the cylinder when the steam is let on. As here shown, I makeuse of a buffer, one of the members, 9, being clamped to the rod and theother,f, be in g secured to a bracket which is fastened to the underside of the deck. This buffer is composed of a suitable yieldingmaterial, as

rubber, and it is so located that it comes into action before the pistonstrikes the end of the cylinder.

In order to prevent injury to the apparatus in case the'boat shouldstart before the hook is released, I provide. a joint which may bepulled apart when excessive strain is brought on it. This joint I preferto place at the point where the wire rope connects with the end of thepiston-rod. having a tapering socket on one end large enough to admitthe end of the wire rope, the 1 latter beingexpanded within the socket,and some easily-fused metal, as babbitt, is melted and poured in througha lateral opening 6' in the link. When an unusual strain is exerted, thewire rope is pulled out of the socket without injury to an yof the partsand may be replaced readily. The Opposite endof the link Means are It iscomposed of a link 6,

from the socket is formed into a screw-threaded stud and, with theextreme end of the piston-rod, is screwed into a coupling h, and bothscrews are secured against turning by setscrews. It will be understoodthat the same fastening connection is used at each end of the boat,although only one end is here illustrated. n

Steam is admitted to each end of the cylinder through the steam-chestsh, each of which has a steam port 0 and an exhaust port.

(Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.)

The steam-supply pipe 12 communicates with the boiler, and there aresuitable exhaust-pipes b.

The valve mechanism is connected with the upper part of the boat,preferably with the pilot-house, each steam-chest being connected withthe pilot-house on its end of the boat. The sliding valve 19 is providedwith an inclined edge which admits the steam gradually. The valve-stem pis pivoted to the connecting-rod q, the end of which is connected withthe crank r on the lower end of a vertical shaft r, journaled in asuitable bearing 5, here shown as formed on the end of an arm 3,extending out from the cylinder. In the upper end of the vertical shaftthere is a horizontal arm 5 which may be adjusted as to its length in orout for the purpose of regulating the throw of the valve. The end of thearm 3 is connected with a link 8 which in turn is connected with thelower end of a vertical crankshaft 8 extending up through the deck tothe pilot-house. (Nothereshown) Byturningthe crank-shaft s the steam maybe let on or shut off at will.

From the above description the operation of my device will be readilyunderstood. As soon as the boat touches the slip the hook k is hooked tothe chain on the slip by the deckhand, and the captain in the pilothouseimmediately turns the crank .9 and the steam at once forces the pistonto the end of the cylinder, drawing the Wire rope taut and holding theboat firmly to the slip as long as the steam-pressure is on thecylinder. hen the boat is ready to start, the valve is thrown over, theexhaust-port opened, and the wire rope and chain slacked up, so that thehook may be released by the aid of the lever-purchase given by handleWhen the boat reaches the opposite slip, the steam is turned on at theother end of the cylinder, and the operation of fastening is repeated.As before pointed out, if the boat starts off by any chance withoutbeing unhooked from the slip the joint 6 will pull apart, so that noinjurious strain can be placed on the apparatus. The device here shownmay be duplicated on each side of the boat, if desired; but in practiceI find that the boat is held firmly by being fastened on one side only.If there is much motion to the water, the boat, held as it is by thepressure of the steam will yield slightly when the strain becomes toogreat, the slack being taken up at once as soon as the pressure isremoved.

It will be understood that compressed air or any other fluid underpressure may be used in the cylinder in place of steam.

I claim 1. In a fastening device for ferry-boats, the combination of acylinder, a piston and piston-rod therefor, a flexible connectionsecured to the end of the piston-rod and means for fastening the same tothe ferry-slip.

2. In a fastening device for ferry-boats, the combination of a cylinder,a piston and piston-rod therefor extending entirely through saidcylinder, a steam chest and valve on each end of said cylinder, aflexible connection on each end of said piston-rod and means forfastening said flexible connection to the ferryslip.

3. In a fastening device for ferry-boats, the combination of a cylinder,a piston and pis ton-rod therefor located beneath the deck, a flexibleconnection on the end of said pistonrod extending at an inclination upthrough said deck toward the end of the boat and a hook for fasteningsaid flexible connection to the ferry-slip.

4. In a fastening device for ferry-boats, the combination of a cylinder,a piston and piston-rod therefor, a hook for fastening said flexibleconnection to the ferry-slip and a buffer to take the longitudinalthrust of said piston-rod.

5. In a fastening device for ferry-boats, the combination of a cylinder,a piston and piston-rod therefor, a flexible connection on the 0nd ofthe piston-rod, a hook for fastening the said flexible connection to theferry-slip and a joint in said flexible connection adapted to be drawnapart by an excessive strain.

6. In a fastening device for ferry-boats, the combination of a cylinder,a piston and piston-rod therefor, a wire rope on the end of saidpiston-rod, means for fastening said wire rope to the ferry-slip and aconnecting membcr between said wire rope and said pistonrod composed ofa tapering socket in which the end of said wire rope is inserted andexpanded and a lateral opening back of said socket to admit meltedbabbitt or other fused metal.

hi wARRIoK o. JONES.

mark Witnesses:

S. W. BATES, L. M. GODFREY.

